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Studio Ghibli Reopens For New Hayao Miyazaki Animated Film

Critically acclaimed Japanese animation company Studio Ghibli is all set to begin production on a new animated film from Oscar-winning director Hayao Miyazkai. Following his work on the animated historical drama The Wind Rises back in 2013, many moviegoers were left in a bit of a lurch when Studio Ghibli temporarily shut down following Miyazki's planned retirement that same year.

With an extensive catalogue of beloved films under his belt - including such classics as My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke and the Best Animated Feature Oscar-winning Spirited Away - Miyazkai is a name that has become synonymous with the very best that Japanese animation has to offer. Thanks to his efforts in co-founding Studio Ghibli, the Japanese animation studio has managed to reach a an increasingly larger, global audience of general viewers since its start in 1985 and then indefinite halt of production in 2014. Thankfully, it turns out that the filmmaking company isn't done quite yet.

Studio Ghibli has now officially reopened its doors to begin work in earnest on a new Miyazkai-directed animated film. Previously, it was reported that Miyazkai is now working on a movie titled Boro the Caterpillar. However, it is unclear at the time of writing this whether that is still the plan or if Miyazaki has another movie in the works (for a potential 2019 theatrical release).

Originally conceived as a short film, Boro the Caterpillar was subsequently reimagined by Miyzakai as a full-length animated film to be released in 2019. However, it remains to be seen just what the good folks at Studio Ghibli really have up their sleeves - but with Miyakai firmly situated in the director's chair, longtime fans of the studio have plenty to be excited about, either way.

The Wind Rises was a heart-wrenching work of Japanese animation - and by most accounts, many of Miyazaki's fans would have been satisfied if that had proven to be the final release from the filmmaker, under his Studio Ghibli banner. However, Miyakai has displayed a decided frequency of prematurely announcing his retirement in the past - with his last false exit from the limelight coming on the heels of the release of Princess Mononoke all the way back in 1997 - and the reopening of Studio Ghibli signals the fact that the critically acclaimed filmmaker isn't ready to stop working yet, after all.